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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · kick · temple · board · bowl · bore · mug · roll

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. file — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a face
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — to drill
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — to rob
  12. roll — a list
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. board — a committee
  15. roll — a cake
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — in football
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com